For those of you following along at home, this is the first time we have had wifi in over a week. So I have posted 3 blogs.


We waited an extra day in Vis before heading south due to the weather forecast. I used the day to calmly check out of Croatia. I am not sure why, but it sure seems like every time I go to check out of a country at a small village it is like I am the first person to ever do it! Once again in Vis I was led into a barren, deserted room by a couple of police officers. I wasn't sure if this was going to be an interrogation or what! I was OK getting strip-searched by the woman :-) , but that guy sure looked like he had big hands!!! Anyhow, after much bantering in Croatian between them, I got my passports stamped and got outta there.

As it turned out, the forecast 10-12k miraculously turned in 20-25k! Thankfully it was on our beam so we weren't pounding into it and could reach off on reefed main and jib. We were doing 8.5 - 9k and while the ride wasn't particularly comfortable, at least it was fast! The three of us would just huddle up in the cockpit waiting & wishing for it all to end. It was cold.

After a few hours Will noticed something following us. Sure enough, we had caught another good-sized bonito! Only now I had to clean the dang thing with the boat at a 20 deg. list and rocking furiously as it catapulted itself over the beam seas at 9k. All the while holding a very sharp and dangerous filet knife! Next time I think I leave the fish in the cockpit for cleaning during calmer weather. As it was I managed to get 4 nice-sized filets off it without impaling myself on the knife (though I tried a couple of times!). It was very tiring work.

Later in the afternoon the wind abated and we were able to go down below and do 'normal' things like prepare food. Ruth and Will took the early watch, so after a nice dinner of rice and grilled tuna, I went down below to catch a few z's. They woke me up at midnight for my shift and we are staring at 2 white lights and a green light. Well, I was just a tad embarrassed that it took 'Captain Nemo' here a few tries to finally figure out it was a friggin' freighter and if we didn't alter course and soon we were all bound to become bonito food in its prop! (Perhaps a fitting retribution, you might ponder!) A quick veer and all were saved from peril (and me from hell!!).

We made Brindisi mid-morning. Brindisi is on the heel of the boot of Italy. It is a very large commercial port. I was glad the three ships were leaving (and not arriving) as we entered the harbor. We prepped ourselves for landfall and were quite excited about going to the marina where I was going to have my transmission looked at and/or repaired, and where we would leave the boat while we toured Vencie, Florence and Rome (Venizia, Firenze, & Roma) next week.

Imagine our surprise (and disappointment) when we discovered that our 'marina' wasn't a marina at all but a boat yard, with no moorage! "Uhhhhh, let's go to plan B. Oh wait, we don't have a plan B!! Oh crap!!" After a few frantic moments that involved a lot of 'options analysis', we decided to side tie up to the fuel dock, wait for them to open at 1530, and sort out our options. Foreign ports will be like that. You just don't know what you are going to get served up, where anything is, or anything like that. It is quite nerve wracking.

So we are tied up for the moment at the town quay (for free). We'll stay here another day before moving to Marina Brindisi which will be more secure for the boat while we are away. A few notes about Brindisi....It is a very industrialized town. It has several forts owing to its geographic prominence at the heel of the boot. But the forts look pretty decrepit. Wifi is pretty much non-existent, and judging by all the TV antennas on the roofs, so is cable! So the 21st century hasn't quite made it around to Brindisi just yet. But it is a port in a storm and does have its redeeming features. Gelatos will be one big one I am anxious to check out! I'll get back to ya on that one!!